Reports came in to dispatchers at about 3 p.m. that a man was seen near the food court at Macy's with what appeared to be an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and possibly body armor.

A local Fox News affiliate reports that witnesses said the man had an "M-16 and a white mask."

One deputy said that a full rifle magazine was found on the ground. It is unclear if this is an act of a lone gunman, or a group.

Entrances of the town center have "been locked down" and police are not confirming any details yet. The names of the dead are still being withheld.

Several bystanders have reported seeing people fleeing from the mall.

"The scene outside as I was leaving was just chaos," Isabel Valentine of West Linn told The Oregonian. "Police were everywhere, people were crying and screaming, and we still don't know exactly why this all happened."

She had almost finished shopping when she left a store, headed toward the food court, and suddenly heard shots fired.